When You Open Your Clenched Hands

Rather than searching for a life without suffering,
cultivate a heart that will not be swallowed by it.

Ancient wisdom
teaches us
of such a quiet path.

The more people fear losing something,
the tighter they clench their hands.

I want to be loved.
I want to be acknowledged.
I want this happiness to last forever.

However, a hand held too tightly
will eventually begin to ache.

To let go
is not to discard what is precious.

It is to gently allow
the freedom for it to change.

Just as flowers bloom,
scatter in the wind,
and another season arrives,
nothing in this world
remains still forever.

Sadness, joy,
and even who you are right now
are gradually changing their form.

Therefore, on a painful night,
you do not need to insist that it will stay this way forever.

In an unseen place,
the soul is reborn time and time again.

Just because you could not do something yesterday,
does not mean you will not be able to do it tomorrow.

Standing before the door labeled "impossible,"
it is okay if you do not try to open it right away.

Simply keep
a small light called "someday"
burning within your heart.

Without holding onto the past too tightly,
without fearing the future too much,
savor the day that is today.

When you open the hands you had clenched,
there will surely be
a gentle space created
to receive a new dream.